Head-protector



`(No Model.) 'l T. W. LARWOOD, Jr.

HEADPROTEGTOR.

ATT E15 T.v

Ew I ATTDNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

THOMAS lV. LARlVOOl), JR., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.`

HEAD-PROTECTOR.

` SPECIFICATION'formng part o1 l.'.|etters Patent No. 532,567, dated January 15, 1895. 'Application filed September 15, 1894. Serial No. 523,091. (No model.)

To all whom itjitwy concern.:

Be it known that LTHoMAs WLARWOOD, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of vCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Head-Protectors; and

I do hereby vdeclare that the following is afnll,-`

a perspective view ofmy new and improved head gear or protector, in which all theparts that bear upon the head and ears are cushioned. Fig. 2 is a modification of the vgear.

shown in Fig. l, in which only the ear straps Iness about the head and face.`

or guards are cushioned and the remaining portions of the gear are plain, It is well-known to' those familiar with the popular sport of football'that whatever its original character'may have 4been ithasnow become an exceedingly hazardou'sgame .'to

thepersoh of the players, and that players i are constantly subjected to more o'r less severe personal injury and especially about the head,

face and ears where' there is no clothing to .protect. I have therefore conceived the infy `vention hereindescribed,.which is designed to aiord -a perfect protection especially vfor the'head and-ears. At the same time it does in no sense interfere with the mostperfect freedom of movement and is suiciently open to avoid objection on'acconnt of heat or close- To these ends the' said protector or gear has abase portion A," whichextends horizontally Y around the baseef the forehead'andthe sides of the head`immetiatelyover` or. above the .ears to the back of thehead, andthe-rear'- ends thereof lare shown here aszconnected by a'pieceof elastic '-.2, althoughthis might fbe a non-elastic piece and adapted to button at oneend. The connection, however, should besuch as to -hold'the portion A comfortably but closely. against ,the head. The front to rear crownportion B which passes back over the middle of thehead starts from the-center or middle of portion A and terminates on 'about the same plane therewith at. the rearand has a loop"3- through which the strap .-2- passes and to which said end may be fastened if preferred, but is shown here as free to slide thereon. Another crownpor= tion C starts from the base A just over the earsv and is connected to the crown-portion B at its crossing midway on the top. These three portions together constitute what is esl sentially the head part of the protector,- and as here shown are made up with leather straps forming the outside or frame-Work of the-protectork and inside lining *5- of felt or other soft and comfortable cushioning material.

The leather straps on afull sized protector areI about one and a fourth to'one and a half light rivets, and the lining or backing -5- in depth and `is sewed or otherwise secured tothe leather. I do notof course limit myself to vleather for the outside material, as a woven-strap of s uitable. thickness and strength might be used, and the cushioning may' be of such` qualit-y and character aswill serve 'thepurpose having in mind all the time the purpose for which mains much of thehead that is not covered,

tions A, B and O as. shown and their width Aand deptlna gear is provided which hasbeen demonstrated te b'e all that is required t0 'shield the head from injuries. This construc -tion may, if desired, be used .without the ear guards, but it would s'tilllack` a very impart tial element of protection. Hence, I have shown the ear guards D. These guards are .made of the same-material as the other parts of the gear and have the shape substantially of a horse shoe andare suspended-fromJ the part A. The cushioning -7- therein is preferably nearly or quite doublel the thickn oss or depth of the other cushioning becauscthe. ears are-.very delicate and easily injured organs. lheseside guards are of such size thatitheynot only in'close theear within their loop,but

less novel-the cheelcbone andwith the por:

andyet by reason ofLthe/location -of theporinches in Width and are united by stitching or- 'has' the same'width' and is about half an inch it is-used.v With this construction there reef 'extend well forward on the cheek 1.o mor-eer I tion A uinite to `protect the temples. The chin straps 9 and -lO- are connected with the ear guards at their front edge, and a button strap l2 connects them at the rear.

Thsstrap is not fastened until the gear is putV Iers without the cushioning of the upper parts.

Chin straps -14-,' 15- and button straps backstraps -17- and loop -18 as therein.

What l claim isl. Ahead protector for football players constructed with a base strap of tiexible inaterial, a front to rear strap extending from the front of the base strap upward and `rear- Ward in acircle and having a flexible4 conneet-ion therewith at its rear end, a transverse strap connected at its ends with the base strap and to said front to rear strap at its intersec tionA therewith, ear guards suspended from said base strap and means connected with the said ear guards to engage about the chin and neck and hold the protector' in Wearing position, substantially as set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a closefitting :head protector for foot ball players, consisting of a fiat base strap of exible material, the curved flat front to rear strap fixed to the base strap at its front end and having its rear end substantially on a plane with the front end, the Hat cross strap curved to a semi-circle and having its ends fixed to the base strap opposite each other and to the front to rear strap, all said straps cushioned on their inside, a flexible connection between the ends of the base strap and the rear end of the front to rear strap, the cushioned ear protectors suspended from said base strap and connecting guard straps at the front and the rear of the ear protectors, substantially as set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, the head protector described, consisting of a base portion A and the cross portions B and C, and

all said parts cushioned on their inside, tlfe elastic band 2 connecting the rear end of the strap B with the base strap A, the cushioned ear protectors,` the chin straps cou- Mnected with said ear protectors, and the back neck strap l2-, connected with the rear of said protectors, substantially as set forth.

P 54. A -head protector for foot ball players, consisting of a flat fiexiblebase strap A, a lfront to rear strap B fixed to the base strap at its frontend and curved to a semi-circle, a

curved fiat liexible strap C at right angles to the strap B and secured at its middle to said strap B and at its ends to the base strap A, a uflexible connection between the rear endof the base strap B and the ends of the base strap A, said straps A, B and C having cushions of uniform thickness over their inside and straps suspended from the sides of said base strap and parts connected therewith to engage underV the chin and at the back of the neck, whereby the protector is'held on the head, substantially as set forth.

-Witness my hand to the foregoing speciiication. i

THOMAS XV. LARlVOOD, JR.

Vtuesses:

H. T. FISHER, GEORGIA SCHAEFFER. 

